India’s Multan Test in 2004 against Pakistan may widely be remembered for Virender Sehwag’s record-breaking 309, which was the first instance of an Indian scoring a triple-century, but another incident in the same Test remains one of the most talked-about moments in Indian cricket history. Rahul Dravid, who was leading the side in Sourav Ganguly’s absence, made the surprising decision to declare India’s innings at 675/5, leaving Sachin Tendulkar stranded at 194 not out. This decision caught many off guard.
The call to declare was a strategic one, based on the team’s assessment of the match situation. It was largely the belief that by declaring the innings at that moment, India could take advantage of a tiring Pakistani side and a deteriorating pitch. While Dravid’s intention was to give his bowlers ample time to dismiss Pakistan and secure a victory, the timing of the declaration, with Tendulkar just six runs away from a double hundred, shocked many fans and players alike.
Tendulkar, who had been eyeing the milestone, was visibly disappointed as he walked off the field, and former India opener Aakash Chopra, who played in the Test, opened up on the dressing room scenes following the declaration. Chopra recalled that Tendulkar was “unhappy” with the call and it seemed something “wasn’t right.”
“I was in the dressing room, but I wasn’t part of that conversation. To be very honest, I didn’t even try to get into it because I was too young. Yes, paaji wasn’t happy that day. I think I saw him unhappy for the first time. I never saw him lose temper, and he didn’t exactly lose temper that day but he was visibly unhappy. Something wasn’t right,” Chopra told YouTube channel 2 Sloggers.
Team’s call
Chopra also revealed that it could’ve been a team management decision, and not Dravid’s alone to declare the innings. He stated that Sourav Ganguly was also in the dressing room, and even though he wasn’t playing, Ganguly was the first-team captain and an integral part of the leadership group.
“Rahul did call, but Dada (Ganguly) was part of the dressing room that day too. He wasn’t playing in that game, but he was in dressing room and I’m sure he was part of the think-tank. It wasn’t the captain’s decision alone,” said Chopra.
“After the game, Rahul did say that he wouldn’t have declared had he known the match would end within 4 days.
“With Rahul, it is possible that in heat of the moment, you agree or disagree. But you don’t doubt his decision. You know that even if he was at a similar position, he would’ve taken the same decision.”
